In The Pantry, Of All Places
by midori.complex
Summary: Retasu and Ryou get trapped in a pantry. Need I say more?
1. Chapter 1

I disclaim Tokyo Mew Mew.

…..

The summer sky was crystal clear and serenely blue: a canvas for the feather dusted clouds that passed in front of the bright sun, shading the creatures below from its persistent rays. A soft breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the lush trees that grew along the busy streets. Two blue birds twittered past, their jubilee apparent in the happy dips and turns of their delicate wings. Retasu paused in front of the cafe's front window to dedicate a moment of revered silence to such a view. She let out a breath along with the tension she had built up through the course of her day. Her relaxation flowed throughout her body, and her muscles loosened…perhaps too much. The all too familiar sound of shattering china met her ears and jarred her senses, jerking her back to her chaotic life style with a fierce tug. She blinked and looked around her, noticed that every customer was regarding her coldly, and looked to her feet in shame. There was a collage of china about her feet in splintered pieces. The various cakes splattered comically on the ground, their moist frosting dripping in a mocking sort of way, and the imported tea soaked into the intricate carpet that bordered gaudy and elegant, a perfect fit for the Mew Mew Cafe. The circular tray that Retasu had once held precariously on her splayed hand spun around like a dropped coin until finally slowing to a halt. The muffled sound seemed to echo in the silence that followed after.

"Sorry," her voice came out a hoarse squeak. Quiet murmurs could be heard as the people adverted their attention from the mortified girl to their previous conversation. A comforting hand gently grabbed her arm and led her to the back of the room, toward the kitchens. She looked up through her bangs to catch a glimpse of her rescuer. It was Ryou, unsurprisingly, and his kindness only made Retasu feel worse. She looked back at the mess she had caused and saw Purin and Zakuro stooped down low with cleaning rags and a trash can. The lump that formed in the back of her throat was overwhelming, but she managed to bite back the tears. The quiet murmurs resided into whispers as Retasu passed by each table, but she could hear their callous remarks just as clearly as if they were screaming in her head.

"That's the third plate today!"

"What a klutz"

"Why don't they replace her?"

"Can she do anything right? That was _my_ tea she dropped!"

"What misfortune,"

Retasu's attention caught at the last table, and when she turned in its direction her eyes met intense amethyst ones and held. Had she ever seen such eyes? The moment was only a span of a few seconds, but long enough for the man sitting at table number 5 to make a strong impression on the shy girl. It wasn't until the kitchen door swung to a close behind her that the connection was torn, and even then it took Ryou's insistent repetition of her name for her to drift back to the linoleum floors.

The smell of delicious pastries was so pungent that the very air was dense and palpable with the aroma. It reminded Retasu of what the Amazon must be like. 'A pastry rainforest,' she thought to her self, and almost smiled.

"I'm sorry," Retasu began meekly, interrupting whatever Ryou had been saying to her. But what did her apologies mean to him anymore? She couldn't guarantee that she would change. She couldn't even replace the beautiful dishes that now lay in a shattered mess in a dumpster now, for every penny of her last paycheck went into her high school tuition. Retasu tried to add something to her apology, but her mind drew a blank. She wanted to close in on herself, to just disappear and stop causing everyone so much trouble. She let out a surprised gasp when she felt a strong hand lift her head firmly upward until she was looking right into a pair of marble blue eyes.

"Are you listening?" He asked not unkindly. Had she been listening? No, she hadn't even known he was talking. Ashamed once again, Retasu tried to lower her eyes, but the hand under her chin wouldn't let her. They were interrupted when the kitchen door swung open with a vengeance to let Purin through. The heavy door would have smacked Ryou right across the face if Retasu hadn't caught it with her hand a mere inch from his nose. She was just as surprised as Ryou was. Although she was a mew, her reflexes weren't always the sharpest.

"Sorry!" Purin chimed, then grabbed a tray and rushed out again. Retasu let go of the door and it swung slowly closed with an innocent air.

"Let's… go over here," Ryou said uneasily, and led her to an adjacent room that served as the kitchen's pantry. It was dimly lit and crowded and Retasu tried to keep a polite distance away from the handsome boy to no avail. 'If he made an effort as well, then may be we could continue this comfortably…' she thought, eyeing the yard of space behind him and the wall. Practically painted onto the stacks of flour and sugar, Retasu began to apologize once more, but Ryou only sighed and rubbed his forehead in an aggravated way, making her fall silent. Ryou continued to rub his forehead, his eyebrows dipping into a frown. The overpowering urge to cry was enormous, but Retasu kept it together for her boss' sake. The last thing she wanted to do was burden him with tears. Ryou glanced up at her, and the frown increased into a scowl.

"Would you stop looking at me with those eyes! You look like an abused dog!" Came the harsh whisper, Retasu felt like a glass of water that was filled up just over the rim. One more bump, and she would surely spill. Ryou saw it too, and he went on hurriedly in a softer tone. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap, I've just had a really long day," It was here that he listed a series of events that had happened to him over the last couple of hours that made his life a living Hell.

She couldn't help it, the gallon sized glass tipped over and Retasu burst into tears. Not just about her clumsiness, but the stress of her new high school and the ridiculous tuition she had to pay, not to mention the fact that she was in charge of protecting the entire earth from alien attacks! All of it seemed to leak out of her at once and all Retasu could do was let it all out.

After a short recovery, Ryou wrapped his arms awkwardly around the sobbing girl. She grabbed the front of his shirt in two fistfuls and buried her head into his chest and cried harder then she had ever cried before. The two stayed like that for a while, Retasu using her boss' finest shirt as a handkerchief and Ryou stroking her frizzy green hair in an attempt to sooth her. Keichiro had wondered over to help, but Ryou simply shook his head to convey that there was nothing either of them could do. He left after closing the pantry door. Ryou wanted to call after to open it again, but didn't want to interrupt the girl's crying, finding it rude.

The truth was, Ryou found himself strangely detached from the situation. Sure he felt sorry for the poor girl, but he couldn't bring himself to that level of despair. Maybe it was the fact that he needed to be a pillar of strength for Retasu, or that he never cried to begin with. In a way, he envied the soppy mess Retasu was able to create on a daily bases. He wondered what it was like to be that free with one's emotions. Probably just as bad as keeping them locked up, he thought.

Retasu's sobbing eventually reduced to sniffles, and it was then that she looked around her once more, making sure not to look at Ryou, suddenly embarrassed at the scene she had just made. She was then struck with the realization that the pantry door had closed sometime during her fit. She stared at the door, accepting the napkin Ryou had fished out of an almost empty box labeled _Bulk Napkins_. There was something about that door that fascinated Retasu, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She was in the middle of blowing her nose when it hit her, causing her to make a weird sound between a shriek and a sneeze.

"What!" Ryou asked, startled by her reaction. Retasu looked at the door with horror, then to Ryou, then back to the door again, "What?" Ryou asked again, not sure if he should be concerned or amused.

"The door!" Retasu finally blurted, as if this explained everything. Ryou eyed the door, which seemed honest enough, for a door, anyway.

"What are you talking about?"

"The door!" Retasu began again, clearly displeased with his lack of common sense, "It locks!" When Ryou continued to stare at her with a blank face, Retasu added, "From the _outside!" _

Ryou could have sworn he heard crickets in the back round. Was she crazy? Why would he, a _genius_, build a café with a pantry that locked from the outside?

"Nonsense," He told her, strode over to the door and turned the handle confidently… only, the handle didn't turn. Instead, it stayed inarguably stuck into place. "It must be jammed," he explained to the green haired girl, but he could feel his resolve crumble with every slam of the door. He pounded on it and hollered, but no one came to their rescue.

"What in the world," He turned and saw Retasu looking at something in her palm with great dread. "What?"

Retasu showed him the little trinket she held in her palm. It was made to warn the mews of an alien attack with a sequence of flashes. It goes without saying what it was doing at that very moment.

"Shit," Ryou hissed under his breath. No wonder no one heard him, the whole group had forgotten the two of them on their rush to fight the aliens.

"I can break down the door!" Retasu told him, determination in her eyes. This is my chance! she thought to herself.

"No, don't—" Ryou started when he realized what she was going to do.

"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!" Retasu declared confidently.

"Retasu! Wai—"

Ryou thought she couldn't do it, but she'd show him. She would prove to him that she was needed on the Mew Mew team!

"Lettuce Flash!" She yelled, aiming for the door in front of her. A stream of blinding green light left the canastas in either hand and splashed against the door with more force than a fire hose. When the attack ended, Mew Retasu opened her eyes, winded. Instead of an exit, however, there stood the seemingly flimsy door, unharmed.

"I tried to tell you," Ryou sighed, exasperated and dripping wet. "This entire structure is built with a titanium hybrid," He walked over to the door and knocked on it three times. The sound was solid, rather than hollow like the doors in her house. Mew Retasu wondered why she hadn't noticed it before; it made since, after all, to build a secret lair out of something that could resist enemy attack. Feeling incredibly stupid, she looked around at the mess she had caused with her miniature flash flood. All the food was saturated in water, the bags of flour and sugar seeping grotesquely from the seems, threatening to burst. They were standing in a seven-inch deep puddle of the green tinted liquid. The only lone light bulb flickered and buzzed above them, threatening to spark out. A thoroughly chilled Ryou glanced nervously at it, then back at Mew Retasu. She looked forlorn, unsurprisingly. Her bright green hair was drenched and fighting against the confines of her hair-ties. A few tendrils were plastered to the sides of her face, the curly Qs adding an artistic flair to her features. She seemed to feel more natural in her Mew form; her stance was taller, her gaze was confident, and despite the fact that she felt stupid for her mistake, she didn't look as if she were going to go into a mental break down at any moment. She walked over to him, concern in her eyes, and Ryou had to will himself not to take an uncertain step backward.

"Ryou, you're cold," She said simply, and reached out to touch his arm, "I'm sorry," she said. Ryou gulped, trying not to stare at the bit of cleavage that peaked over the top of her uniform.

"I'm fine," He said, glad that his voice was more certain than he was. She smiled slightly and turned toward the back of the pantry to search the shelves. Ryou was left with a third degree burn from where she had touched him, savoring the sensation and loathing it at the same time.

He needed to pull himself together. This was not the time nor the place nor the person. Damn these blasted hormones! he thought fiercely. I'm a prodigy! I can rise above this! But he couldn't help but admire the smooth contours of Mew Retasu's figure as she stretched to get a box on the very top shelf.

"Um… Ryou?" She asked, breathless, and again Ryou had to shove unwanted (and very wanted) images from his mind.

"Hm?" He inquired, not trusting himself to talk correctly.

"Could you help me with this? It's heavy…"

"Oh." He made his way over and helped her with the box labeled _Tablecloths_. Mew Retasu grabbed a flowery pink one and snapped it open with a flourish. Miraculously, the material was only wet around the edges. She then wrapped it around Ryou in one fluid motion and secured it around his neck. He looked down at his new attire when she was finished and broke out into a grin.

"Um… I don't quite think this is my color,"

"Sure it is," She retorted, unabashed, "It brings out your eyes," She said this so seriously that it took him awhile to realize she was teasing him. He let out a laugh, setting the box back on the shelf once more.

"Oh, wait, did you want one? Aren't you cold?"

"No, I'm more comfortable this way," She smiled. Ryou could tell. She was like a whole different person, or, rather, the _real_ Retasu.

There was nothing left for either of them to do except wait the return of their comrades. They couldn't even sit! Retasu fidgeted. First with her hands, then with her hair. Ryou popped a fist into his palm, as if struck by an epiphany, and turned toward a shelf. Retasu waited eagerly to see what he had thought of. Of course he would have thought of a way to get out of here! He's a genius in his own home! Ryou was removing boxes from the second to bottom shelf and setting them unceremoniously aside. Retasu noted how strong his arms must be to lift so many heavy boxes with such little effort. She continued to fidget with her hair while she watched him until she had unraveled both braids. When the whole shelf was clear, he climbed onto it and laid down on his back. Retasu stared after him, waiting for the grand finally. It never came.

She tried not to get too disappointed at the fact that they were stuck here for some time. Chimera battles usually lasted five to six hours, anyway. Mew Retasu knelt down by the shelf opposite Ryou's and began clearing it off as well. Man these boxes were heavy! It took her all her strength just to unload the middle sized ones, what would she do about the larger ones? As she tried to struggle with a particularily heavy box, she heard the water slosh as Ryou made his way over to her. He took the box from her hands as if it held cotton candy rather than a block of lead, and set it aside without a word.

"Sorry," she told him.

"Why?"

"For…this," she flopped her hand around on her wrist, "everything. It's all my fault. From the very moment I dropped that dish…" Mew Retasu sighed and busied herself with the chore in front of her. Ryou muttered something under his breath.

"Huh?" Retasu asked him, and to her surprise Ryou's face flushed bright red.

"Uh, I said that it's not that big of a deal!" He did n't look at her, instead he reached out for another box. Was he getting sick? Mew Retasu began to fret. What if he got a fatal illness? And it would all be thanks to her. Reaching out, she laid a hand on his forehead.

"Are you feeling okay? You're warm,"

Ryou was indeed warm, but he was guessing it wasn't from a sickness.

"I'm fine!" He insisted and reached for the last box on the shelf, "There you are!" Standing abruptly, he marched over to his shelf to lay down. Retasu looked after him, his odd behavior worrying her even more.

…..

TBC…maybe


	2. Chapter 2

I disclaim Tokyo Mew Mew.

(_edited: 2-15-07)_

…..

Mew Retasu stared blankly up at the mundane slap of wood that served as the ceiling for her glorified cubby. She didn't know how long she and Ryou had been in this little room; an hour? A day? Eternity? Honestly, she had no idea. The consistent _drip drip drip_ of water imitated the ticking of a clock, and she would count in her head to the rhythmic sound. _One…two…three…four…_

Sighing, she traced the figure of a dolphin from the series of random veins that ran through the plywood. She could also see a cat, a dog, a bird and a monkey, all from the designs in the wood. She wondered what tree her ceiling had been a part of once, and what forest it had grown in since the time it was a seed. Bored, she rolled over on her belly and played with the puddle of water on the cement floor, her mind on her friends and their battle as she twirled her fingers absently.

"How are you doing that?" Ryou asked her. He was turned on his side, leaning on his elbow and staring intently at her fingers. She had twirled the water up in an abnormal swirl, similar to shaving cream, except the water still moved inside the form. She drew her hand away, embarrassed, and the water abided to the laws of physics once more.

"I don't know," She began sheepishly. She could feel the heat bloom on her cheeks and she tried to hide her red face with her bangs.

"Do it again," Mew Retasu heard the demand in his voice, and felt that she didn't have a choice. Very simply, she brought her hand palm down over the water. She gave a lazy flip of her wrist and the water followed in a lazy ripple. She felt a sense of contentment envelope her and drown out all other thought as she continued to play conductor to the music of water.

Ryou slowly climbed out of his alcove to get a closer look, not taking notice of the water that seeped into his pants as he knelt beside Mew Retasu. The water was similar to the irregular twine of smoke as it followed her every movement, reaching out to her timidly. Her hand wove in smooth dips and turns, her fingers caressing the air around the water, never touching.

Ryou stared into the green tinted liquid as it danced with her delicate fingers hypnotically. Of their own accord, his eyes traveled toward her; they followed the gentle slope where her shoulder met her neck and up along her jaw-line, finally landing on the soft pink swell of her lips.

"Ryou?"

Out of his trance, his eyes snapped up to meet bright green ones. He looked back to the dancing water but it was over. An unfamiliar sensation heated his cheeks when he realized he had been staring.

"You're—I mean, _that_ was amazing. I had no idea," He went on, not meeting her eyes. Mew Retasu smiled shyly, pleased.

"I'm sure the others can do more than that," She accommodated, modest as always.

"No," Came the blunt response, "No, they can't,"

"Ryou?" She looked up at him, for he was standing now, pacing the tiny confinements of the room. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and frowned, deep in thought. She didn't want to interrupt, so she sat back awkwardly and followed his pacing, trying to figure his train of thought with the broken phrases he muttered absently.

"…Finless Porpoise can't… But the DNA… Natural phenomenon?…Defies laws…Levitation…Teleport—" He stopped suddenly, and Mew Retasu could have sworn she saw a light go on in his head. He turned to her swiftly, his eyes landing on her as if she were wrapped up in red ribbon and set under his Christmas tree. "Can you do that with more than just water?"

"Uh…" She said intelligently, taken aback. He kneeled to her eye level and grabbed both of her hands in his, making her blush profusely.

"Try. Try it right now," His eyes bore into hers, "Please," he added. Mew Retasu gulped, but gave a nod, nervous that she would disappoint him. He smiled and let go of her hands to stand up again. She glanced up at him, then down to the water. She focused on the water and it shot up violently. She gasped, lost her focus, and the water receded back into its puddle as if nothing had happened.

"Don't be nervous," She heard him say soothingly, "Start out small,"

She searched the room until she found a soggy napkin floating two feet from her. She stretched her arm toward it, feeling foolish, and pulled her hand slowly back to her. The napkin followed obediently. Confident now, she aimed her energy at a tiny box; it shuddered and rose itself off the shelf and started to spin. It dropped into the water below, splashing Ryou, and she started to laugh.

"Sorry!" She said after catching her breath. Then started laughing once more when she saw the look on his face.

"Incredible," He said in awe. Not caring whether he was referring to the power or herself, she practiced some more. Soon she had multiple objects zooming around the room above them. Ryou let out a rare laugh and she found herself staring. Not a snicker or a smirk, but genuine laughter.

Something fell from the ceiling with a loud clang, splashing water everywhere. The boxes and random pantry supplies followed shortly after. Ryou and Mew Retasu found themselves staring up at the open air-vent that Masha had just flown himself through.

"Danger, Danger!" The robot said frantically, zipping around the two of them.

…..

TBC…definitely


	3. Chapter 3

I edited the second chapter and simplified the plot. I was surprised at how fun this chapter was to write. Enjoy!

…..

Mew Retasu tried to follow the little robot that now zipped around her head in a panic, and then to the open air-vent above them, chirping "Danger! Danger!" all the while. Their last hope was only a foot away from her outstretched fingers, if only she could fly like Mint…

"Ryou, could you give me a hand?" She asked him, but he didn't seem to hear her, he was still staring at the vent, mouth agape. "Ryou?"

"Why didn't I think of that?" He shouted suddenly. Mew Retasu stared at him, not knowing how to respond. Why _didn't_ he think of that? He was the genius, after all. Ryou went on in a rant, verbally insulting himself in a frenzy. Mew Retasu shook her head and tsked to her self. They didn't have time for this!

"Ryou!" She finally snapped, alarmed by her own assertiveness. Ryou froze, shocked. "Um, I mean—uh," Ryou came over to her and kneeled down on one knee just below the vent.

"We better hurry," he said in all seriousness, his previous tantrum gone without a trace. Mew Retasu nodded with determination and hoisted herself on his knee, finally able to reach the vent. Now what? Taking a breath, she slowly pulled herself up quickly—_too_ quickly. She rammed the top of her head into the ceiling, causing the world around her to flash in a bright array of stars before fading out completely.

…..

When the world whirled back into her consciousness, she felt safe and comfortable, gazing up into a pool of blue. And then the pain throbbed back to her attention, piercing the top of her head and rippling throughout her cranium.

"Danger! Danger!" She found the high-pitched noise exceedingly annoying.

"Shut up!" A voice hissed angrily above her, and all at once, Retasu grasped where she was. She made a move to sit up, but a pair of hands on her shoulders and the increasing throb in her skull forced her back down. She could not help but blush in the realization that her head was laying on Ryou's lap.

"How are you feeling?" The concern was evident in his eyes; his face appearing horizontal to her disorienting viewpoint.

"Fine. Thank you," She made another move to sit up, but his hands would not permit it. "Ryou…" She was getting frustrated. But when she looked back up at him, she could see that he was troubled about something, his eyes shadowed in bangs. At a loss, she rested her head once more. The pair stayed like that for sometime, quiet and still, with only the occasional slosh of water penetrating the pregnant silence. Masha had zipped back through the vent, though where Retasu did not know. She peered up at Ryou discreetly; wanting to know what he was thinking that was making him look at her like that.

Oh, he was looking at her…and she was looking back. Flustered, she yearned to turn away and apologize for her rudeness, but there was something in his gaze that made the simple action impossible. In a moment of hesitant boldness, her hand reached out to touch his face, her palm resting against his cheek. A part of her knew that now was the time to come up with an excuse, to tell him that she was checking for a fever or something along those lines. But another part, an increasingly growing part of her self dominated her actions. She wanted now, more than anything, to convey the feelings his presence invoked from her since the very first day they met. Lifting herself from his lap, his hands no long protesting the movement, she turned on her side toward him, her hand splayed by his side, supporting her weight so that they were now eye level and very, _very_ close.

"Ryou, I—" Her barely audible explanation was cut off as his lips met her own in a gentle, chaste kiss. It happened so fast and so unexpectedly that Retasu forgot to close her eyes, now widened in surprise. Before she had a chance to react, it was over. She blinked at a blushing Ryou who seemed just as astonished as she. His hand found the back of his head and he looked away from her, frowning. Had she done something wrong?

"Sorry," he voiced, "I don't know what came over me…" Retasu considered him for a long moment, feeling as if a golden opportunity was slipping through her fingers with each passing second. Finally, self-consciously, she uttered,

"I-I didn't mind," She hated how small her own voice sounded to her ears. How she longed to grab him by his shirt collar and … Retasu's blush deepened at the thought. At last, as the increasingly uncomfortable silence grew between them, she willed herself to look up at him, surprised to see that he, too, had become a deeper shade of red. When he spoke his voice was shaky, deep and low in his throat.

"Want to do it…again?"

She nodded, but when they leaned into each other, their noses bumped. Mortified by her inexperience, Retasu pulled back; ready to apologize when she felt his hand rest on the back of her neck. Ryou chuckled softly, his eyes reassuring. A wave of relief flowed through her and she smiled back. He leaned in again, his head tilted slightly, and she let her eyes flutter close at the sensation of his soft lips touching hers. He pulled away slightly, and Retasu opened her eyes in a daze, ready to protest. She gasped when she felt his lips leave a tingling trail of kisses along her jaw line, and instinctively angled her head, exposing the tender flesh of her neck. He took her earlobe in his mouth, nibbling lightly. Retasu shivered, her hand grasping the cloth at his shoulder. He grinned, now sucking at the sensitive spot where her shoulder and neck met.

"Ah! Ryou…" She exclaimed in a breathy moan, the sound of his name on her lips sending a jolt of pleasure throughout his body. Her hands were tangling in his hair now, her breath coming in quick puffs. Ryou marveled at how quickly she responded to him. He ceased his attentions on her neck, feeling her hands delicately guide him back to her lips. She pressed her lips against his desperately, trying at the same time to shift into a more comfortable position. They fumbled for a bit until Ryou was cross-legged and Retasu was… she blushed adorably when she realized she was straddling his hips. She wiggled a bit, but before she could move into a more appropriate spot Ryou held her hips firmly in place. She looked up, concerned to find that he looked pained, his face red and his heavy lidded eyes clouded.

"Ryou…?" she shifted again, but stopped abruptly when he groaned.

"D-don't, please…just," He inhaled slowly, as if composing him, when he spoke again he sounded more like the Ryou she knew, "You're torturing me,"

"I'm sorry…" She uttered uncertainly, his explanation leaving her even more confused. He just laughed quietly, shaking his head. He looked at her again, the intensity of his blue eyes sending shivers of anticipation down her spine, and she willed herself not to wriggle her hips at the heat swirling in her lower belly.

"You're beautiful," He told her. She shook her head, smiling self-consciously. She felt his hand cradling the side of her face, and after she looked at him, she knew he meant it. When he kissed her again, it was slow, lingering. She started at the feel of his tongue flickering at her bottom lip, but was reassured by his strong arms against her back, tentatively, she parted her lips, flickering her tongue just as he had. Ryou moaned appreciatively, emboldening the otherwise timid girl. Ryou inhaled a sharp breath at the feel of her cool hands under the confining material of his shirt, causing her ministrations to pause in uncertainty. Ryou shook his head.

"Don't stop," He whispered in between kisses. They continued that way for what could have been any time between a minute and eternity. Their entire world consisting of only roaming hands and playful tongues.

Ryou's hands abandoned their firm hold on her hips and traveled luxuriously, purposefully to her breasts, giving them a light squeeze. Retasu, broken out of her trance, squeaked and jerked away, her eyes wide and a bit accusing. He looked at her in confusion, his blue eyes becoming less and less hazy. Then, eyeing his hands (still planted firmly on her chest), he flung them back, as if burnt, aghast at his lack of control.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, sputtering, "Sorry! I didn't mean…I mean…uh," He trailed off silently, his eyes pleading. She had wrapped an arm loosely across herself in an act of diffidence and Ryou cursed the day he was born. Retasu's opened her mouth, as if she were about to say something, but closed it again. She tilted her head up slightly in a curious manner until finally asking,

"Do you hear that?"

"…What?"

"_That,_" she climbed off of him without a second thought and made her way to the door, pressing her ear against it.

"What are you--,"

"Sh!" Was her sharp reply. Ryou's jaw hung open at his in the midst of his discontinued inquiry and wondered faintly if she had gone mad.

But then he heard it too. It was the distant calling of their names. Awkwardly, he hurried to stand and made his way to the door, his feet slipping in his rush. They began to bang on the door, yelling incoherently in their desperation to be heard.

The voices were getting louder, nearer. Finally, the blasted pantry door was whooshed open by Ichigo, who immediately went into a fit of hysterics. She hugged them both, babbling on an on about how worried they had all been.

Retasu smiled forcefully, overcome by hugs and bombarding questions. She glanced over at a solitary Ryou, who was looking over at her from a safe distance, his stance unsure and his eyes unguarded. She smiled slyly at him, giving him a wink. He straightened at that, coughing lightly into his hand to hide his increasing blush.

"Why you blushing, na no da?"

"Ya…and why are your lips so swollen…?"

Retasu and Ryou shared a significant glance before smiling sheepishly at their friends.

…..

TBC…Perhaps.


End file.
